Tasker - How To

[Brausso]

Is there an official Tasker- How to thread?

I'm new to tasker and I'm hoping people will come post new and cool ideas that they find helps them day to day. I am also hoping people will post a short walkthrough as to how they set each task and what it does.

I'm trying to figure out the settings if I want my GPS and Blutooth to automatically activate once my phone is plugged in my car charger. I'm sure a ton of people have done it, but don't see anything posted.

 

[UncleMike]

There are plenty of Tasker threads around, and several others that started out as something else, where Tasker ended up being a solution. If you're looking for general ideas and how-to type stuff, check out the Tasker Wiki:

About - Tasker Wiki

 

[Rotor]

If found the Lifehacker articles and videos helped me understand the basics of how to use Tasker. Only had the app for about a week now but I'm slowly starting to figure it out.

Amazing app and well worth taking your time to try and understand it as the benefits are plenty.

How to Turn Your Android Phone into a Fully-Automated Superphone

Push Your Automated Android to Awesome Heights with These Tasker Setups

Three Handy Tasker Profiles from Our Readers

How to Roll Your Own "Find My iPhone" for Android

 

[Gadgetsage]

it feels like tasker assumes a prior knowledge of programming term/words-am i right about this? Is there a glossary of programming/tasker words definitions?

It feels like i would come to understand tasker a lot quicker if i had a prior knowledge of all of these terms /words which are not immediately obvious to the lay user...

 

[rad ryan]

I agree 100%. I have the same problem although I've come a good ways by finding profiles as examples. That helps but I'm still unclear on alot of stuff and feel very limited to use the true potential of tasker. Ex: variables seems like it has alot of uses but I don't quite understand it. Any help would be greatly appreciated in the form that the above post mentions. I've googgled for just that and have found nothing

 

[Pinmac1]

I wonder if you have realised that there is Help within the Tasker app itself? With Tasker open, press Menu>Info and Help:>This screen and Userguide have some really useful information about terms used and so on. It took me a couple of months before I realised it was there!

 

[Yeahha]

You can also get to the userguide here Tasker: Userguide

you can use the A-Z features to look up any context or action you have questions about. Yes a little programing knowledge is good thing with tasker but it is in no way required.

 

[prjctchris]

For those who are a little confused about how to create profiles from scratch Tasker has an awesome built-in feature that allows you to download and import pre-configured profiles. Not only will it allow you to easily get commonly used ones up and running without any work you can also view them and see exactly how they are made which will aid in understanding how to build ones yourself immensely.

 

[OB1BoB]

Hi!

I got a quick question. How can create a profile that will hide certain sms.

For example if text "locate droid" to my phone (which will send me its gps coordinates) - then the sms itself should be deleted, the notification sound shouldn't ring and the notification bar shouldn't show an unread text icon.

Making it virtually invisible​

-Any ideas on how I can do this??

 

[amazinz5]

Can multiple profiles run simultaneously? In my case I want to have a night profile where volumes are lowered but I also want to have different settings for when im plugged in at night vs not plugged in. What I would like to do is have one night profile where volume is lowered and power is conserved but have those power controls overridden when I plug in, but I'm not sure if I'd have to make profiles for plugged in day, plugged in night, and not plugged in night. Hope this makes sense. Also if theres a way to toggle 4g I'd love to know.

 

[csomagolok]

Hi!

Can I use Contexts, when screen is off?
I would like to make a task, which switches to the next track in the music player, but even when the screen is off. I always put my phone to my pocket, while listening music, and it would be comfortable, if i could switch the track , making a gesture with my leg, or just pushing the search button.
But I cannot find the solution for this problem. I made a task, and it works, when the screen is on, but when I lock the phone it doesn't.

Any ideas?


Sorry for my english!

 

[amazinz5]

Hi!

Can I use Contexts, when screen is off?
I would like to make a task, which switches to the next track in the music player, but even when the screen is off. I always put my phone to my pocket, while listening music, and it would be comfortable, if i could switch the track , making a gesture with my leg, or just pushing the search button.
But I cannot find the solution for this problem. I made a task, and it works, when the screen is on, but when I lock the phone it doesn't.

Any ideas?


Sorry for my english!

Your english is fine for the most part, just a lot of extraneous commas which is a pet peeve for me.


I would also like to know if i could have a folder open upon plugging in headphones....i have a folder with slacker pandora and google music and it'd be cool if i could flash to that screen and have the folder open.

 

[bk11222]

i purchased the tasker app to automatically enable GPS when opening a GPS based apps and then have the GPS killed when i closed which ever app i had been using. i went to the wiki page for instructions to do this and half way thru the tasks menu i received a message from tasker saying that android 2.3 no longer allows this function. tasker suggested that i root my phone. rooting is well above my pay grade.

this function was the primary reason i downloaded this app. is there any way that i can have the GPS turn on and off with GPS based apps? why did android 2.3 block this option for users? you would think with many users switching to LTE and phones with larger screens, they would understand users concerns about preserving battery life. it's also allows for a better user experience not having to turn the GPS on and off all the time.

 

[slv7014]

Try a new free plugin for tasker from the Android market.
It is called "secure settings"
It has gps control as an option

 

[bruce73]

i purchased the tasker app to automatically enable GPS when opening a GPS based apps and then have the GPS killed when i closed which ever app i had been using. i went to the wiki page for instructions to do this and half way thru the tasks menu i received a message from tasker saying that android 2.3 no longer allows this function. tasker suggested that i root my phone. rooting is well above my pay grade.

this function was the primary reason i downloaded this app. is there any way that i can have the GPS turn on and off with GPS based apps? why did android 2.3 block this option for users? you would think with many users switching to LTE and phones with larger screens, they would understand users concerns about preserving battery life. it's also allows for a better user experience not having to turn the GPS on and off all the time.

I just bought Tasker today and have been trying to understand the basics. My problem with the Wiki is that it's apparently based on a prior UI than what's out today (v.1.2.1). So the steps don't always jibe with the menu options, etc. I'm seeing. The imbedded help files are a plus, but it's a bit frustrating.

Anyway, wrt a GPS profile -- I found this howto and got it working with my HTC Vivid running v.2.3.4. See if it helps.

 

[Pinmac1]

I've posted this elsewhere but it's worth repeating. If you leave GPS on the whole time it only actually switches on when you start an app that uses it e.g. Maps or Navigation. It then switches off when you stop the app. Try it and you will see the GPS symbol appear on the notifications bar when the app is opened and disappear when it is closed. GPS never shows up on battery usage unless I have used a program which calls it. It works really well as I just set GPS to on and forget about it.
HTH.

 

[edong98]

I would like to start a task that will take a certain data (Name, Phone, Address) and add it as a new contact record.

Is this doable using Tasker?

Thanks!

 

[SUroot]

I've posted this elsewhere but it's worth repeating. If you leave GPS on the whole time it only actually switches on when you start an app that uses it e.g. Maps or Navigation. It then switches off when you stop the app. Try it and you will see the GPS symbol appear on the notifications bar when the app is opened and disappear when it is closed. GPS never shows up on battery usage unless I have used a program which calls it. It works really well as I just set GPS to on and forget about it.
HTH.

Precisely this. No need to turn GPS off IMHO. Its only running when you see it flashing in the status bar. The worst culprit is facebook but even then it's ridiculously negligible.

I like my GPS on all the time for tracking. Tracking is flaky anyway. I dont want another step (Activating GPS) to add anotehr thing to go wrong into the mix

 

[tatootie67]

Hi!

Can I use Contexts, when screen is off?
I would like to make a task, which switches to the next track in the music player, but even when the screen is off. I always put my phone to my pocket, while listening music, and it would be comfortable, if i could switch the track , making a gesture with my leg, or just pushing the search button.
But I cannot find the solution for this problem. I made a task, and it works, when the screen is on, but when I lock the phone it doesn't.

Any ideas?


Sorry for my english!

I have one that works. While I am playing music, if I tilt the phone to the right, it skips to next track.if to the left, previous song.
It works with the screen off, but I've noticed it does not work with every music player. I think it has something to do with the lock screen music widget. I have it working with Player Pro.
Let me know if you need the profile

 

[userloser]

this function was the primary reason i downloaded this app. is there any way that i can have the GPS turn on and off with GPS based apps?.

you can enable and disable GPS with secure settings on a rooted phone, but doing it right on a per-app basis is trickier to do right than you think.

e.g. the tasker context won't (yet) work with apps that run as services. once you leave the activity and it is closed, the gps will switch off, even if an app service keeps running. there are other minor issues as well.

leaving GPS enabled works better generally.